Casey Lee Nicholas Halpin, 27, took a bike from a store Dec. 4, but left his name on a tag the day before, police said.

The man said he wanted to test ride a $580 bike, but it was near closing time and he didn't have his ID; still, Penny and Jay Zech of Gung Ho Bikes let him do it.

And he never came back, they said.

The thing is, a day later, Dec. 5, an employee realized the man had left his name on another bike at the Manchester Township store earlier in the week. Penny Zech checked to see if he had a Facebook account, and there he was, staring back at her.

She called police, who arrested the man, Casey Lee Nicholas Halpin, 27, of no fixed address, and charged him Wednesday with retail theft.

As of Monday, Halpin remained in York County Prison on $2,500 bail and a parole violation.

On Wednesday, the Zechs said they relieved to hear Halpin had been charged and was in prison, and thought they might have to change some of their policies.

"In 22 years of being in business, this is only the second ride off we've had," Penny Zech said. "Right now, no test rides after dark."

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Penny Zech said Halpin walked into the store on Dec. 4, just before 8 p.m., asking about a bike. She walked out of the office to help him.

"He had done his homework; he knew what (bike) he wanted," she said.

He then asked to take the bike on a test ride, but Penny Zech said that the store's policy was to ask for identification from everyone who takes a bike out. Halpin said he didn't have one on him.

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He looked at her and said, "Well, I'm not going to steal the bike," she said.

Despite Penny Zech telling him no, Halpin continued to ask to ride the bike outside. She then went to her husband -- and while looking at him and shaking her head -- told him Halpin wanted to take the bike out.

"I missed all the signals she was sending me," Jay Zech said Wednesday.

Jay Zech sat down with him for a moment to discuss specifications, and Penny began studying Halpin -- he was a tall, big dude, red hair and beard, with a teardrop tattooed under his left eye, and many more tattoos on his arms and hands.

Jay Zech accompanied Halpin outside and told him to ride to a nearby stop sign and come back.

Penny Zech told him, "I don't like this, I don't like this at all. Don't take your eyes off him."

Still, despite Jay Zech watching him, Halpin rode past the stop sign, reached the intersection with North George Street, and turned left, out of view.

"Jay grabs a women's road bike to try to catch the guy," Penny Zech said. But Halpin apparently had too much of a head start, and Jay Zech couldn't find him.

* * *

When one of their employees, Derrick Rorrer, came into work on Dec. 5, Penny Zech told him what had happened, since he had the previous day off.

Listening to her story, Rorrer realized the man had been in the day before the theft.

"Hey, wait a minute, he put a bike on hold," Rorrer said.

Rorrer showed her another bike, and there was Halpin's name and phone number on a tag. Penny Zech ran Halpin's name through Facebook, and sure enough, he had a page. She called police to tell them she knew who had taken the bike.

Charging documents did not say how Halpin was arrested on the theft charge, but according to York County Prison, he was brought there on Wednesday.

On Oct. 4, Hanover Police charged Halpin with harassment, and on Dec. 10, he was ordered to pay more than $300 in fines, according to court documents.